Air-lift pump



June 18, 1929. Hf. HALVORSEN I 1,717,448

AIR LIFT PUMP Filed Deo. 5l, 1923 I l H IIA uuml 1 a ber? ZU f am d Patented June 18, 1929;'r

HALBERT B. HALVORSEN, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSINOR TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

AIR-LIFT PUMP.

Application led December 31, 1923.` Serial yNo. 683,581.

This invention relates to air lift pumps, find more particularlyto foot ypieces there- It has for its object to provide an improved foot piece. A further object is to provide a foot piece having la plurality of parts with improved means for assembling and disassembling the same.

" In the' accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration one form which my invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings,- y v Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the foot piece.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical partial section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In my improved device I propose to use a base 1 having upwardly directed openings 2 and 3 and a downwardly directed opening 4 formed in a downwardly projecting boss 5. A third opening 6 is at the upper end of a vertical passage which has communication with the opening 4 as by a transverse passage 7. Mounted within the opening 2 is the usual fluid supply pipe 8 which allows fluid tolow into the base 1 and thence upwardly around a mixing tube 9 which projects upwardly through the opening 4 in the boss 5 and is held therein by threads or other suitable means. Where the material used in the construction of this device is lead, the mixing tube 9 .and base can be burned so that it will have an integral connection with the base 1. More specifically,

this tube comprises a cylindrical tube having annular portions 10 on the lower end thereof which are disposed within the opening 4 while a flange 11 .abuts against the lower surface of the boss 5. A bore 12 extending substantially throughout theJ length of the mixing tube isplugged at the bottom as at 13 to prevent escapeA of actuating fluid and is closed at the other end by'a conical plug 14. Inclined discharge ports 15 extend outwardly from the bore12 and allow escape of actuating Huid into the surrounding fluid `contained within the Venturi pipe 16. The latter will have communication at its lower end with the opening 3 and at its upper end with the usual riser pipe (not shown). Actuating fluid, preferably air, is admitted through a supply pipe 17 having communication with the opening 6 from whiehit flows through passage 7, around an annular chamber 18 formed between the spaced por-l feature to be noted in this connection is that z5 1,717,448 PATENT OFFICE.

tions 10 on the mixing tube and through openings 19 therein.

In the operation of this device, liquid to be pumped flows down the pipe 8 into the hollow base 1 and up into the Venturi pipe 16 to a level which will correspond to the natural level of the liquid being pumped. When pumping is started, the liquid within the pipe 16 surrounding the mixing tube 9 Will be aerated by lluid flowing in through pipe 17, opening 6, passage 7, and through the lateral openmgs 19 in the ylower portion of the tube 9 which have communication with the annular space disposed between the portions 10. Anadditional feature of my construction is that the mixing tube 9 may be readily downwardly removed from the base 1 without disturbing any of the remaining portions of the device. Another when the tube is removed, theinlet ports and the opening 4 are left entirely open so that any foreign matter accumulated in these parts may be readily removed. y

I`While I have in this application specifically described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

`What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: A

1. An air lift foot piece comprising'a casing with an inlet for the material tol be pumped and an outlet for discharging thel same, said casing being further provided in the lower side thereof with a threaded opening surrounded by an abutment surface, a" hollow mixing tubeadapted for insertion in said opening and having adjacent but spaced from its lower end a threaded portion adapted to cooperate with the threads of said opening and nearer its end an abutment portion adapted to cooperate with said abutment surface, and between said abutment4 portion and said threaded portion a portion substantially smaller than said threaded portion having therein an opening communicating with the interior of said. tube,4 and an inlet for the actuating fluid opening into the space below said threaded portion.

2. An air lift foot piece comprising a casing with an inlet for the material to ben pumped'and an outlet for discharging the same, said casing being further provided in the lower side thereto with a ,threaded apening surrounded by an abutment surface, a hollow mixing tube adapted for insertion-in said opening and having adjacent but spaced from its lower end an enlarged annular threaded portion adapted to cooperate with the threads of said opening and nearer its 4 endan enlarged abutment portion adapted to cooperate with said abutment surface, and between said abutment portion and said threaded portion a reduced portion provided with an opening communicating with the i11- terior of said tube, and an inlet for the actue ating fluid opening into the annular space be-V y said opening and having adjacent but spaced from its lower end an enlarged annular threaded portion adapted to cooperate with the threads of said opening, and nearer its end an enlarged 'abutment portion adapted to cooperate with said abutment surface and an enlarged annular portion substantially filling said threaded opening transversely, and between said abutment portion and said annular portion an opening communicating with the interior of said tube, and an inlet for the actuating fluid opening into the annular space below said threaded portion. f

4. An air lift foot piece comprising a casing with a downwardly directed passage serving as an inlet for the material to be pumped and a communicating upwardly directed opening for communication with a riser pipe,

said casing also having a threaded bore for the reception of a mixing tube alined with said upwardly directed opening and having a downwardly extending pum ing fluid supply duct opening into said bore etween its ends, and a mixing tube comprising an upper apertured discharge portion and a communicating lower-pumping fluid receiving portion, the

latterhaving a reduced portion provided with a'fluid supply opening ,opening laterally andv having above said reduced portion a threaded portion cooperating with said threaded bore and at its lower end a portion forming a tight joint with said casing, said pumping fiuid supply duct communicating with the space below lsaid ythreaded portion. y

5. An air lift foot piece comprising a casing with an inlet for the material to be pumped and an outlet for discharging the same, said casing being further provided in the lower side thereof'with an opening surrounded by an abutment surface, a hollow mixing tube adapted for insertion in said opening having adjacent to but spaced from its lower end spaced annulal` portions at opposite sides of a portion of lesser diameter, the upper one of said portions and said opening being adapted to cooperate to form a seal and the lower one of said portions and said opening being adapted to cooperate to provide a guide against tilting, said mixing tube having at its bottom means cooperating with said abutment surface to effect a seal, and an Iinlet for the actuating fluid opening into the annular space provided by said portions.

6. An air Vlift foot piece comprising a casing with an inlet for the material to be pumped and an outlet for discharging the same, said casing being further provided in the lower side thereof with ali opening Isurrounded by an abutment surface, a hollow mixing tube adapted for insertion in said opening havin in spaced relation to its lower end means a apted to cooperate with the bore of said opening to effect a seal and having at its lower end means adapted to co-` operate with said abutment surface to effect a seal and having intermediate said parts a iportion of reduced diameter containing a uid supply opening, and an inlet for the actuating fluid opening into the space between said parts which surrounds said portion of reduced diameter.

A foot piece for air lift apparatus comprising a casing and a mixing tube, said casing having an inlet for the material to be pumped, an outlet for discharging the same, and amopening adapted to receive said mixing tube by insertion therein, said mixing tube having spaced enlargements adapted to cooperate with said opening to form a chamber and said tube being provided with means for supplying fluid to said mixing tube from said chamber, and an inlet for the actuating fluid opening into said chamber. Y

8.. A foot piece for air lift apparatus comprising a casing with an inlet for the material to be pumped and an outlet for discharging the same, said easing being further provided vwith a vertical opening, a mixing tube having an annular groove on the exterior thereof adapted to cooperate with said opening to form a passage, and means provided iu said base and mixing tube including said passage for supplying actuating fluid to said mixing tube.

llO

9. An air lift foot piece comprising a'casing opening, a mixing tube having spaced enlargements adapted to engage said vertical opening whereby said tube may be supported in said opening or removed through the lower end of said opening, and means including the chamber defined by said enlargements for supplying actuating fluid to said mixing tube.

10. An air lift'foot piece comprising a casing with an inlet for the material to be pumped-and an outlet for discharging the same,y said casing being further provided' with a Vertical opening, a mixing tube having an enlargement adapted to threadedly engage said opening and a second enlargement on HALBERT B. HALVORSEN. 

